1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrostatic or magnetic recording apparatus and the like for use in electronic copies, printers, facsmiles and so forth and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which can be raised to an angle of 90 degrees irom the posture in the normal operation for removing a recording paper, when jammed, out of the apparatus, or carrying the apparatus by hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional types of image forming apparatus such as an electronic copier and so forth are generally large in size and heavy due to the contained high-voltage equipments. For normal operation, the apparatuses are installed on a special platform or a floor. The apparatus once installed seldom took any position different from that of the apparatus in normal use.
Recently image forming apparatuses compactly designed and lightweighted enough to be carried even by one person have been developed and practically used. Japan Patent Appln. Laid-Open No. 56-11474(1981) discloses an apparatus having a handle mounted on the side wall thereof whereby a user can grip the handle to raise the apparatus to an angle of 90 degrees from the posture in the normal operation and further to carry the apparatus. Most of the apparatuses having such construction are longer in some degree in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction when placed for normal operation. Accordingly, the apparatus is advantageously placed on a iloor, a desk or the like with the handle positioned into the upper face of the apparatus. Though such placement is convenient and advantageous, the apparatus is in danger that the original support plate, particularly if it is of movable type, is damaged, and that a person near the apparatus is injured and so forth when the operation switch is accidently touched and input by fingers and the like. Japan patent Application No. 59-172911(1984, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 750,878) by the present inventors discloses an image forming apparatus having an opening disposed at the bottom thereof. When a recording paper is jammed, the apparatus is raised to an angle of 90 degrees from the posture in the normal operation so the jammed paper can be taken out of the body through the exposed opening with ease. There is, however, a large possibility of the operation switch to be touched and input by a person's hand and the like when a jammed recording paper is taken out of the body.
Conventional image forming apparatus recognize such problems that if the apparatus operates in a position different from that of in the normal operation, the apparatus may be out of order, the recording papers may be wasted and so forth, due to the movement of the recording papers or falling by gravitation of the toner when used in the apparatus.